In a landmark move to honour the sacrifices of emergency responders, the recently held fifth meeting of the Sindh Emergency Council has approved a historic martyrs package for Rescue 1122 personnel and rescue workers who lay down their lives in the line of duty, alongside a series of major decisions aimed at modernising and strengthening the province’s emergency response system.
The crucial meeting, chaired by Adviser to the Chief Minister for Rehabilitation Gyanchand Essrani at the PDMA Headquarters, reviewed the overall performance of Rescue 1122, ongoing reforms, financial planning, human resource requirements and measures to establish a more integrated, modern and effective emergency response mechanism across the province.
The council was informed during a detailed briefing that since 2022, Rescue 1122 has responded to more than a million medical emergencies, as well as thousands of incidents involving fire, drowning and building collapse, helping save thousands of precious lives through timely intervention.
Praising the institution’s performance, Essrani said that in today’s world, institutions make decisions on the basis of data, technology and analysis, and stressed the need for Sindh’s emergency services to adopt modern software, technological systems and data-driven evaluation to identify weaknesses and further improve public service delivery.
The meeting identified several gaps in the existing emergency response system, and emphasised the urgent need for a joint command structure, uniform standard operating procedures and increased investment in infrastructure. Participants also agreed on the immediate requirement for 100 fire tenders and 35 water bowsers for emergency operations across Sindh.
One of the most significant decisions of the meeting was the approval of a historic martyrs package for Rescue 1122 personnel. Under the proposed package, in the event of a rescue worker’s martyrdom during duty, the family will be entitled to Rs10 million in financial assistance, Rs5 million in group insurance, burial expenses, and either employment for a family member or the continuation of the deceased’s salary until retirement age. The package will now be sent to the cabinet for formal approval.
The council also approved the renaming of the Quick Response Force under Rescue 1122 as the Advanced Response Team, while special praise was extended to the forming of specially trained rapid response teams in Karachi to enhance emergency handling capacity in the city.
The meeting was further informed that the CM has granted principled approval for the emergency services budget for the next three years, reflecting the provincial government’s commitment to strengthening rescue and disaster response institutions on a sustainable basis.
In another key decision, the council approved the establishment of a Sindh Rescue Service Fund, with Rs500 million in seed money, to ensure the swift fulfilment of urgent emergency requirements. It also approved the item-wise distribution of grants for the financial year 2025-26.
The issue of extending the contracts of Rescue 1122 employees was deferred until a performance review is completed, with the matter to be taken up again in the next meeting. To address the shortage of manpower within Rescue 1122, the council also granted in-principle approval for further recruitment, and directed that Sukkur IBA or another third-party testing agency be engaged to ensure a transparent recruitment process.
As part of broader institutional reforms, it was decided to form a sub-committee to review digitalisation, human resource reforms, and service rules and regulations within Rescue 1122, aimed at bringing the organisation in line with modern emergency management standards.
The meeting also granted post-facto approval for Rs1.4 million spent on the treatment of driver Baqar Abdullah, who was martyred during a rescue operation at sea.
Among those who attended the meeting were Rehabilitation Secretary Rafiq Mustafa Shaikh, PDMA DG Salman Shah, Rescue 1122 DG Wajid Sibghatullah Mahar, Operations Director Abid Jalal, Sindh Integrated Emergency Health Services CEO Tariq Qadir Lakhiar, as well as senior officials from the health, police, local government and finance departments.
Addressing the participants at the conclusion of the meeting, Essrani said the Sindh government is taking practical steps to establish a modern, swift and people-friendly emergency response system, adding that through technology, training and institutional coordination, rescue services in the province would be brought up to international standards.
He said the protection of human life remains the government’s foremost priority. He reaffirmed that the sacrifices of rescue personnel would always be recognised with the honour and respect they deserve.
